Generally, vehicles are equipped with a battery for supplying power to various electrical devices such as AV systems, lamps, sensors, and controllers. The vehicle batteries use a tray serving as a support for fixing the batteries when equipped in an engine compartment. The tray is mounted in vehicle body (e.g., front side member) on the front or rear side of the engine compartment. The battery is supported on the tray, and then is fixedly fastened by clamps or bolts.
The battery tray must have a structure in which the battery can be fixed and supported by the tray in a certain location inside the engine compartment and can be easily detached and attached for replacement. Also, the battery tray must have a structure that can safely secure a heavy battery such that the heavy battery does not deviate from its original location due to vibration, inertia by sudden braking, or crash impact.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a battery tray mounted in a battery, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a battery tray for a vehicle.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, a battery tray 120 has a wall or a stopping protrusion of a certain height along the circumference thereof to fix the battery such that the battery does not move in any direction while the battery is put into the battery tray 120. Also, a fixing unit is provided to prevent the deviation of the battery by fixing the front side and the rear side of the battery tray to safely secure the battery mounted thereon.
For example, a mounting part (only front mounting part shown) 111 protrudes from the lower end portion of the front surface and the rear surface of the battery. In this case, a protrusion part 122 may be formed on the rear end portion of the tray such that the mounting part (not shown) of the rear surface of the battery can be inserted.
Thus, when the battery 110 is mounted, the mounting part of the rear surface of the battery is inserted into the protrusion part 122 formed on the rear end portion of the tray, and then the mounting part 111 of the front surface of the battery is fixed by a clamp 124 that is fastened at the front end portion of the tray.
Thus, the battery in the battery tray 120 is fixed and supported by the protrusion part 122 fixing the mounting part 111 of the battery 110, and is prevented from deviating from the battery tray.
Upon vehicle crash, particularly a rear impact crash, the battery applies a load to the rear supporting part of the tray 120 in a rear and upward direction in which the battery 110 is lifted.
In this case, when the wall 121 and the protrusion part 122 of the rear end portion of the tray 120 do not have an appropriate thickness and strength, or when the weight of the battery is larger than the designed thickness and strength, the battery 110 deviates from the tray 120 while a breakage occurs in a bent part 123 along line ‘A-A’ of FIG. 2B.
When the battery tray is formed of a steel plate, deformation may occur but the probability of a breakage is low. However, when the battery tray is formed of a composite material, that is advantageous in terms of cost and weight, since the toughness is low, a breakage may occur along the bent part 123 on which a stress is concentrated.
Thus, when the bent part breaks upon crash, the battery may deviate from the tray, and the deviation of the battery may cause the interruption of power supply into the interior of a vehicle, making it difficult for a passenger to escape, resulting in a deadly accident.
In order to address this problem, an increase in the thickness of the breakage line ‘A-A’ was proposed, but this solution was not sufficient for different battery weights.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.